Prowler 13

Ray-uk

 

The first thing that got me about this yak, was the layout, let’s face it, when you go yak hunting, it’s the first thing that you look at, you stand there and look it up and down, in your mind you are thinking of rigging it before you even get it on the water.
The cockpit is very spacious and has a sort of “open feel”, it has been well thought out, nothing protrudes to much, there is nothing that can get in the way of anything, the cup holders and the tackle tray are very handy indeed without being in the way.

I prefer the moulded foot rests over footpegs, I can alter my sitting position easily.
If I am paddling and see a fish rise, then I simply put my paddle in my lap and draw up my knees, my paddle is then secure, leaving me free to make a cast, when I have done this on yaks with footpegs, my feet have slipped.

I have found that when I unhook a fish, I simply drop my lure/fly into one of the foot wells and it will stay there, on a flat surface cockpit, there is the chance that the lure can move about, and I like to know where my hooks are at all times.

The tankwell is a nice size, I use a milk crate for my gear, it takes it and still leaves me plenty of room for anything else I may want to take out with me.
Once my crate is in, the tackle box area at the front of the tankwell almost becomes another tankwell in itself, albeit a lot smaller, for me it is the perfect place for keeping my anchor.

The front hatch is like any other, it’s roomy and will easy carry any camping gear I may wish to take.
The neoprene cover is a pain to get back on, I would not even attempt it if I was on the water, but once it is in place, it keeps water out.
If I did use my front hatch on a regular basis, I would swap the neoprene cover for a gasket.

Handling.
It’s a stable yak, both initial and secondary stability are excellent, I have been out in some rough water and have never had any issues with stability.
It tracks straight and is easy to turn.
As for speed, well it gets me to where I want to fish, I have paddled boats that are a lot faster, I have also paddled boats that are slower, speed is not really an issue for me.
Some spots I fish require a paddle of a couple of miles or more to get to them, I can get there in a relatively quick time if I want to.

Is it a dry ride, well is any kayak? No, you are on water therefore you will get wet.
Without scupper plugs, whilst stationary, I get water in the footwell, once under way, this drains out.
I normally leave my scupper plugs in, I still get water in the cockpit, but this mainly comes from paddle drip and the fact that I like to sit side saddle, so having my feet in and out of the water gets water in the cockpit.

I have never had any water actually get into the yak itself.